Monogram 1/24 Tom Daniel's Cherry Bomb

Description from old time model kit introduction hype:

"Tom Daniel--Guru of all designers--has come up with what has to be the most mind-blowing rod of all time...the show-smashing CHERRY BOMB! A tinted bubble top covers the plush interior, and to show off the gleaming chrome turbine engine another tinted bubble is set into the long lean hood. To make it totally out-of-sight, Tom added a wild custom trailer to haul his own unreal show chopper...a mod bike with high-rise seat and raked-out wheel. The way-out styling of this show rod is super from the special combination torsion bar-axle in the front end to the flush-mounted sequential tail lights in the rear deck. Riding on spring-air rear suspension, the CHERRY BOMB gets its go from a boss turbine powerplant. Headlights are housed in tapered chrome pods, and tinted transparent bubble top opens to show interior detail including uni-control. Tagging behind in its own custom trailer is the mod chopper with bored and stroked mill, cherry-bomb gas tank and highrise backrest and sissy bar."

As with many of the dozens of kits with his name upon it, Tom Daniel primarily produced designs specifically for Monogram and as such, rarely were these vehicles ever actually built. This particular kit was first released in 1970, towards the end of the hey-day of show rod model kits, and this is the first time it has been repopped, some 44 years later.

Many of you are aware that original kits of subjects such as this have been commanding stupid prices on the collector's market. As such Revell and Round 2 have been cleaning up their old molds and slowly reissuing several of these show car kits over the years, much to the delight of a sect of car modelers who love these sorts of cars.

The condition of the molds must be exceptional as the kit is as cleanly molded and flash free as it was when first released. The major parts of the car, trailer and motorcycle are in a dark red plastic, obviously to facilitate painting. The chrome sprue is superbly done, though many of these parts will be damaged by removing mold seams. Still, it is nice to have such well done chrome. It was not that long ago when a new car kit's chrome bits would actually be flaking chrome in the package. The kit also includes three sets of tires; two drag slicks, two for the motorcycle, and a standardy vinyl sprue with four tires, of which two will be used on the car. There are clear bits for the engine cover and cockpit. I found the usual ejector pin marks one expects from a 1970 kit, but it looks like most, if not all, will be hidden when the model is finished.

The car interior is minimalist with a tub and two control sticks. The turbine engine is chrome plated and is just an upper section so that something will be visible in the clear engine cover. There is a trailer of about the same design as the car with grooves in the upper surface for the motorcycle. This has a three piece frame/forward fords onto which the two-piece two-cylinder engine is attached along with the the wheels, seat, sissy bar, lights and exhaust.

Instructions are standard Revell USA with a long parts list, color information in generic terms and no sprue layout. There is no overall painting guide, but really, you have the box art and photos to help in that regard. I'm sure most folks will paint this one a shade of red as befits the box title. There is a nicely done decal sheet included.

I found it interesting when reading the side of the box that the main part of the kit is actually molded in the US with the rather flimsy box and vinyl wheels made in China and the decals printed in Italy. Naturally, the kit is licensed by Tom Daniel. In all, if you like this sort of thing, then it is great to see these kits being reissued. One wonders just how many of them they produce, because one does not see a lot of them built up at shows.